Method for cutting out individual pictures from a multiple image picture

ABSTRACT

A cutting device for cutting out individual rectangular pictures from a multiple image picture, which pictures are utilized for I.D. cards, credit cards, badges or the like.

mted States Patent [151 3,640,16 1 Kulms Feb. 8, 1972 [54] METHOD FOR CUTTING OUT 1,205,257 11/1916 Pitt ..83/467 X INDIVIDUAL PICTURES FROM A g f avi MULTIPLE IMAGE PICTURE 1,819,481 8/1931 Pearson... 721 lnventor: Roger J. Kuhns, Lincoln, Mass. 1 2,715,439 1955 fl ner...

' I 3,543,626 12/1970 Macone ..83/467 X [73] Assignee: Avant Incorporated, Lincoln, Mass. I v 1 [22] Filed: Feb. 9, 1970 Primary mmner Frank T. Yost 2 App! 9 47 AZIOI'nQY-Rflbflfl L. Nathans s2] U.S.C1 "83/36, 83/50, 314 1-f- 5 1 wi I 1 133/5122v 51 lnLCl ......B26d 7/16 7 A cutting device f0! cutting out individual rectangular P I f tures from a 'multiple image picture, which pictures are util- [58] meld Search" 7T ized for 1D. cards, credit cards, badges or the like. [56] References Cited i I Q 3 Claimsfl Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,526,851 10/1950 Christensen 483/467 I PATENTEU FEB 8 1972 ROGER .1 KUH/VS I NVENTOR ATTORNEY ble rectangular die member or ram (i.e., having its major dimension or length vertically oriented) so that theindividualpicture of the subject photographed'is initiallyinserted right side up and the major dimension or lengthof the individual picture is vertically oriented. This procedure produces-a' problem relating to continual readjustment which will be discussed hereinafter inconnection with a detailed description of the operation of an embodiment of the present invention. In order to properly center the individual picture with respect to the vertically oriented male die member, devices ,have'beenu designed which vertically translate the individual picture until the image of the subject is properly centered in the vertical" with respect to the die-cutting device. However,these .prior art devices for making an initial vertical adjustment often require vertical readjustmentduring the die'cutting'ofa given multiple image picture, are relatively complex and occa-' sionally make it difficult to support the picture in an exact vertical orientation; that is, the device 'for'supportingthe bottom edge of the card does not always maintain the bottom card edge parallel with the horizontally oriented die cutteredges.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In accordance with .an embodiment .of the invention, a horizontally rather than a vertically oriented rectangular die cutter is provided-for cutting out individual pictures'fromaa horizontally oriented multiple image picture. An adjustable elongated cantilevered support member supports the lower edge of the pictureand-is designed so that the bottom edge of thepicture is always maintained parallel tothe-horizontally oriented cuttingedges of the die cutter.

Other objects, features, andadvantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed description of an embodimentof the invention together with inspcctionof the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a'front view of anembodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an embodiment 'of the invention.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As illustratedin FIG. 2,.a movable cutting ram 1, slideable within frame portion 2, moves to the left and-punches'out an individual picture from multiple image. picture 8 which is positioned withincavity 7. Handle 6 drives ram Im the left until the ram is contained'withincavity 4, positioned within'frame member 3. The releasing of handle 6 causes ram 1 tomove'to the right and the cutting cycle is completed. As shown inFIG. l, horizontally oriented multiple image picture 8 isinserted into cavity 7 so that its lower edge rests ontheupper edge of elongated support member 9. Since the female die member, including cavity 4, is open with respect tothe front of the die cutter, the position of the individual picture I6'with respect to the die cuttermay be viewed by the operator. If-the subject is not properly centered with respect to the die cutter,'the operator changes the vertical position of elongatedsupport member 9 until the subject I6 is properly positioned in a vertical direction (i.e., centerline 20 bisects female die cavity 4 as illustrated in FIG. '1). Picture 8 is then positioned -in the horizontal direction to complete centering of subject 16' with respect to die cavity 4. The-meansfor adjusting the vertical position of the subject l6'includes a screw'member which comprises a knob 13, cylindrical flange 15, and threaded portion I4,together with an elongated member 1 1 whichhas an elongated aperture 12 therein which is coupled in turn to cantilevered member 9. When knob 13 is rotatedlclockwise, the left-hand edge of flange 15, best shown in FIG. 1, presses against member ll, tightly pressing member'll against the side ofthe die cutter. The operator adjusts the vertical position-of multipleimage picture B-to center the subject I6 with respect to the die cutter by tuming knob l3 counterclockwise which enablesthe vertically oriented elongated member I] to be'mo'ved vertically until the image 116 is centered with respect tothediecutter as shown in FIG. I. After being properly positioned, the knob is rotated clockwise so that elongated member 1 l is firmly'clamped against-the side ofthe-die cutter es illustrated in FIG. 1. Owing to the flattening of the elon- 1 gated member Ilagainst the side of the die cutter, the'proper vertical positioning of image I6 is assured while the lower edge of picture-8 is always,maintained'parailel'to the horizontally oriented first and second cutting'edges of the die cutter. Unlike-prior artdevices, this adjustment'may be effected in a positive-manner and maybe carried'out quickly and accurately. V I

The aforesaid prior artmultiple image camera produces pictures wherein the centerline 20 running through a reference point,- such as the tip of the subjects nose, is displaced asym- 25 metrically the'same distance from the centerline 21 of multiple image picture 8, as the centerline 22 is displaced from centerline 21. In other words, the aforesaid multiple image cameras-produce lateral separation from centerline 21 of the four images which is asymmetrically identical for each image. Thus, oncethe elongated support means 9 is adjusted to cause centerline 20 to evenly bisect the rectangular female die member 4'as illustrated in FIG. I all, that is required to cut out the second individual picture 17 is to-move multiple image picture8 to the rightuntil .the picture is horizontally centered. After' thecutting out of the secondindividual picture 17, the multipleimage picture-8-is rotated and the punching out of individual pictures 18 and 19 is carried out as before without readjustment of support means 9. Thus, it should be apparent that with the improved die cutter of the present invention, only-one vertical adjustment of the multiple image picture'support means is necessary to cut out all four pictures and all subsequentarrays of four pictures. This is possible, because the aforesaid'lateral separation of a given reference pointassociated withthe vertically oriented subject photographed fromthe centerline-of the multiple image picture is at all times identical for each of the four pictures, owing to the configuration of the optics of the above-mentioned multiple image camera. With prior art die-cuttingdevices, the rectangulardie cutting ram was vertically oriented so that its longest dimension was perpendicular to the supporting member 9 ratherthan parallel therewith as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, when all four images were substantially identical,a single adjustmentof'the multiple image picture support means was sufficient toproperly cut out the lower two images of the multiple image picture where the picture 8 was oriented vertically rather than horizontally as shown. However, when the multiple image picture 8 was rotated 180 so that the upper two images wereviewedthrough the female die-cutting member, the subject .wasoften-not properly centered, since the center of the subject (e.g., his nose) is often not half way between the upper andlower edges of the vertically orienteddie cutter. In those instances when the images are of different persons, some .individuals are short and others are tallin the film frame quadrant, so that the vertical-position of the'tip of each subjects nose maybe centered in the photographed image. Thus, upon 180 rotation of the multiple image 'picture 8 with respect to the vertically orientedrectangular die cutter, the support memberwithin thedie cutter had to be constantly repositioned to properly vertically'orient images of a given subject. With the horizontally oriented die cutter of the present invention, this second operation is eliminated. This is importantwhen-thousands of multiple imagepictures are die cut by asingle operator as a great deal of time is'saved.

Another advantage accruing through use of the present invention is that the camera tripod need not be continually raised and lowered to vertically center subjects having diffcrent heights because of the ease in making the horizontal adjustment during die cutting as previously discussed.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that the term horizontally oriented cutting device" means that the longer dimension of the cutting device is parallel to the support surface of the elongated support member 9, which in turn is generally perpendicular to gravitational force vectors.

I claim:

1. A method of die cutting a plurality of substantially identical rectangular images out of a multiple image photograph which includes a plurality of said rectangular images each having opposed first and second sides longer than opposed third and fourth sides, said multiple images having first and second centerlines displaced at substantially equal distances from a third centerline running through the middle of the multiple image picture, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a substantially rectangular die cutter having opposed first and second edges longer than opposed third and fourth edges;

b. inserting said multiple image picture into said die cutter to position the first and second longer sides of said rectangular images substantially parallel with said longer first and second edges of said die cutter;

c. adjusting the position of said multiple image picture in a first direction substantially perpendicular with said longer first and second edges of said die cutter until said first centerline lies about half way between said longer first and second edges of said die cutter;

(1. further adjusting the position of a given multiple image picture in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction to properly frame a given multiple image within said die cutter;

e. die cutting said last named given multiple image picture and;

f. die cutting the remaining multiple images without repeating step C.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step C is performed by adjusting a picture support member associated with said die cutter and thereafter affixing the position of said support member with respect to said die cutter to provide for subsequent cutting of the remaining multiple images without the need for further adjustment of said support member.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said adjustment is performed in a direction parallel to the shorter third and fourth edges of said die cutter. 

1. A method of die cutting a plurality of substantially identical rectangular images out of a multiple image photograph which includes a plurality of said rectangular images each having opposed first and second sides longer than opposed third and fourth sides, said multiple images having first and second centerlines displaced at substantially equal distances from a third centerline running through the middle of the multiple image picture, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a substantially rectangular die cutter having opposed first and second edges longer than opposed third and fourth edges; b. inserting said multiple image picture into said die cutter to position the first and second longer sides of said rectangular images substantially parallel with said longer first and second edges of said die cutter; c. adjusting the position of said multiple image picture in a first direction substantially perpendicular with said longer first and second edges of said die cutter until said first centerline lies about half way between said longer first and second edges of said die cutter; d. further adjusting the position of a given multiple image picture in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction to properly frame a given multiple image within said die cutter; e. die cutting said last named given multiple image picture and; f. die cutting the remaining multiple images without repeating step C.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein step C is performed by adjusting a picture support member associated with said die cutter and thereafter affixing the position of said support member with respect to said die cutter to provide for subsequent cutting of the remaining multiple images without the need for further adjustment of said support member.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said adjustment is performed in a direction parallel to the shorter third and fourth edges of said die cutter. 